About Us

United Teaching is United Learning’s groundbreaking Initial Teacher Training Scheme, the UK’s first of its kind. Delivered in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London, our programme is designed to help you become the senior teacher you have the talent and passion to become. Here, teacher training is a path to leadership roles across the country.

We offer you the opportunity to train while you teach, so you can get the teaching qualifications you need without going back to university, and without delaying the start to your career. You can train for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) on its own, or you can go for a PGCE as well, earning 60 Masters-level credits along the way.

Training with United Teaching gives you real teaching exposure in a choice of schools, a mentor system, a support network, professional qualifications, as well as continuous professional development throughout the duration of your career with United Learning.

About the Course

The course starts with a two-week summer school in August based in our lead and host schools. You will then spend your academic year in the host school with additional training one afternoon each week at the lead school, complete a second placement, and attend up to three conferences. Assessment will continue throughout the course, based on your classroom experience and achievement measured against the DFE Teaching Standards, while your academic PGCSE study will comprise of two academic assignments, assessed by Goldsmiths.

From day one, you could be teaching with a reduced timetable. There may even be an opportunity to join your school before September to work as a teaching assistant and gain more experience. By accessing our collective expertise and support, you’ll have the resources you need to teach by yourself. So expect to be a valued member of your teaching team, empowered to lead your own classes from the start, but with the backing you need from our network.

Your time with United Learning doesn't stop after a year. To us, teacher training is a path to a long-term career: our schools seek to employ our trainees after completion of the programme as Newly Qualified Teachers - with the potential for rapid promotion to middle and senior leadership in our schools or a Group-spanning position. Within just a couple of years or less, some of our trainees have gone on to become heads of year or faculty.

Through training with United Teaching, you would access:

Professional qualifications – every trainee works to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), and you can also work towards a PGCE with 60 Master’s level credits;

World-class training led by outstanding schools, with sessions delivered by national educationalists;

Individual support and mentoring from our teachers of excellence;

A wide range of experience gained with your choice of primary, secondary, state and independent schools;

Access to continuous professional development beyond your initial training period with the United Learning Institute;

A structured pathway throughout your career with us at United Learning.

At the heart of our success is our lead school: Paddington Academy. A National Support School and judged outstanding, Paddington holds the Gold award for staff development and training and the results at GCSE have been amongst the best in the country for progress over the last five years. The staff who deliver the teacher training at Paddington are the very best classroom practitioners, with many training at Paddington themselves. Paddington Academy is supported by our Northern Hub school, Stockport Academy. Primary training is led by Guildford High School and Hanwell Fields Community School

Why train with us?

The answer is our guiding philosophy: the best in everyone. It enables us to set the standard for excellence in education that we expect in United Learning schools. Just as importantly, it brings out the best in you as a teacher. We value you, work with your talent and passion, and challenge and stretch you. Which means that together, we can provide genuinely excellent education. Our schools, leaders and colleagues progress. And our students leave us with the qualifications – and the character – that they need to succeed.

The environment we have created across United Learning matters too. Bringing out ‘the best in everyone’ starts with sharing: because by sharing resources, and by working together we can achieve more as a group than any single school could. It means you can draw on the expertise of peers, tutors and leaders alike. One person’s idea becomes everyone’s idea, and you fulfil your potential.

About United Learning

At United Learning we're an ambitious and growing group of junior and secondary, state and independent schools across England. Our focus is simple and unswerving – to provide an excellent education to all our pupils. We believe there should be no barriers to learning. Every child should be cherished and challenged to achieve their very best, in a stimulating and positive environment. We create the foundations for successful lives. Our schools share our sense of dedication, passion and integrity. And they share too our commitment to high quality teaching.